For Tim Hague, a twitching left toe at age 46 was his first red flag. As a nurse, he knew enough about Parkinson’s Disease to know it’s impossible to ignore no matter how much you might want to forget. In his book, Perseverance, he describes the initial days of believing somehow it would go away or his doctor would be proven wrong.
Shanon Weselake can relate. “I find that the emotional and cognitive effects of Parkinson’s are as challenging as the physical symptoms,” she says. “This disease causes your body to produce less and less dopamine which in turn affects other chemicals in your body, like serotonin [a key hormone that stabilizes your mood]. I did not use medication for the first several years and was quite opposed to starting it for reasons I don’t really understand. I thought I should be able to fight this illness at every level.”
Now, she realizes how unrealistic that was. “I am so thankful for the medications available that help to lessen the tremors, settle the emotions, and add clarity to my thoughts.” She defines her main challenge at this point as being disciplined enough to do the things every day that will keep her healthy the longest: praying, exercising, eating well, resting, laughing, enjoying people, and not hurrying.
Tim Hague writes about finally determining to get moving after a year of basically shutting down, trying to hold his shaking limbs still even when it was impossible. He took up running and cycling and set new goals for himself. Now, Hague helps other PD patients through his charity, U-Turn Parkinson’s, whose mission is to empower those living with PD in their pursuit of wellness. Using boxing, yoga, music and more, PD patients and their families receive encouragement, information, and inspiration.
Shanon understands how important support is. She’s found excellent resource people, programs and media info through government and volunteer organizations. Podcasts and online workshops have helped her learn about the disease and hear other people’s stories.
“My main supporter, though, is my husband Larry. We share the responsibilities for household management, but he does so much more shopping, cooking, cleaning, driving, corresponding, banking, bill paying, grandkid care than he once did. He graciously moved with me to an apartment to simplify my life. He prays for me every day.”
I asked Shanon if she ever gives in to self-pity.
“Feeling sorry for myself is an option. I’ve tried it more than a few times and it’s not working for me. I can only speak for myself and I know that many with PD are so much more afflicted than I am at this point, so my words may not apply to all. However, I often find myself thankful I’m not presently suffering from any other diseases which I think would be harder to live with. I am blessed to have family and friends who watch out for me and include me in their lives. I feel accepted as a person who lives with Parkinson’s, not a person defined by Parkinson’s.”
Tim Hague agrees that attitude is everything. “Our North American culture often tells us that we should look, feel, and be successful,” he says. “Yet any success I’ve had has come only after significant ordeals, and rarely did I ever feel successful along the way. But I’ve learned to persevere. This is an important point to hold on to: perseverance can be learned…if we learn its lessons our lives will be deeper, richer, and more vibrant than we ever imagined.”
Next week, we’ll find out what Shanon misses most and how her faith has been affected.
Shanon on a missions trip to Mexico in 2015
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